Lever winding for alarm clock stem-winding gear

ABSTRACT

A winding lever for the stem-winding gear of an alarm clock in which the movement is mounted on a baseplate with the winding lever mounted thereon and arranged coaxially with the shafts of the hands of the movement.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Robert Wolber I Lautenbach/Wurttemberg;

Otto Hettich, Schnmberg/Wurttemberg,

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Primary Examiner-Richard B. Wilkinson Assistant Examiner-John F. Gonzales Attorney-Watson, Cole, Grindle & Watson 58/16, 58/2l.l2, 58/46 R, 58/81 [SI] Int. ABSTRACT: A winding lever for the stem-winding gear of an nted on a baseplate alarm clock in which the movement is mou [50] Field of 58/13, 16, with the winding lever mounted thereon and arranged coaxi' ally with the shafts of the hands of the movement.

PATENTED M824 1921 SHEET 1 [1F 3 INVENTORQ We? 176*! HcJ/M/ L GEAR The present invention relates to alarm clocks and specifically relates to a winding lever for the driving spring of an alarm clock. Such winding levers are known in themselves and they are used particularly in the case of batteryoperated timepieces in order not to burden the supply of power to driving spring of the alarm clock. In the case of a known construction, the winding lever has been placed inside on the baseplate of the mechanism which carries the movement, the winding lever having a toothed segment by which it is engaged with the driving spring of the alarm.

Starting with sucha construction of the movement, an object of the present invention is to provide less space with a simple mounting for the winding lever. The lift of the lever according to the invention is developed in such a way, that it makes possible the use of a standard clockwork mechanism, that is to say, of a clockwork mechanism which has not been developed especially for use in an alarm clock. A further object of the invention resides in the development of the winding lever in such a manner that it can cooperate with a soft-loud alarm device. The invention, finally, also has a further object in the simplification of the assembly for the alarm mechanism in the caseof'an initial stress of the driving spring of the alarm and it also renders themanipulation of the winding levers easier and handier than it has been heretofore. I

The present invention is characterized by the fact that the winding lever has been arranged coaxially with the shafts of the hands or indicators of the movement. While in the case of the known constructions, the winding lever is pivotal around an axis located beside the shafts of the hands, the arrangement, according to the invention, of the swiveling bar affords a saving of space and also makes it possible to make the lever relatively long. in a further development of the invention, the winding lever is mounted on a hub, which, for example, as been stripped and extended from the baseplate. The hub has been bent out or pulled out from th'e baseplate,that is to say, that it consists of one piece with the baseplate. Also, the pivot bearing of the winding lever can be constructed as a bushing with a flange, which is encompassed by frictional contact by a soft-loud pullout sector, which is pivotalin a plane parallel to the winding lever. The pullout sector is disposed between the cocking lever and the base of the movement, so that the available construction and structural space has been utilized to its fullest extent.

In the case of the known lifts of tensioning levers,-a friction lock is placed between thedriving spring shaft and the driving mechanism of the alarm. This friction locking mechanism is supposed to make it possible for the cocking lever to be able to be moved at all times in both directions, without the driving mechanism of the alarm being operated. In this manner it will be possible to cock the driving spring of the alarm and to release it again, and the alarm may be turned off by uncocking of the spring. At the same time, however, one must overcome ever, the torque of the uncocking driving spring of the alarm .will support this movement, that is to sayit is to be deducted --from the frictional movement.

7 Further objects will be apparent from the following description when considered in connection withthe accompanying drawing in which;

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the stem-winding gear in a I lateral view with the section taken on line I I of FIG. 2 in the the friction moment of the friction locking mechanism in the case of every movement of the cocking lever, especially during the winding up of the driving spring. For that reason a rachet locking mechanism has been inserted between the element, coupled by a friction clutch with the drive shaft and the driving mechanism of the alarm, which upon winding up ofthe driving spring, can rotate freely. Only when the spring has run down will this shaft be connected rigidly with the driving mechanism of the alarm by the blocking mechanism of the rachet so that the driving mechanism will be operated. This will have the advantage that, in the case of winding, the torque of the frictional locking device will not have to be overcome and therefore in practice only the counter torque of the driving spring will have to be overcome. In the case ofswinging the winding lever from the wound into the unwound position, for example, in shutting off the alarm, it is true thatthe frictional torque of the locking device has ,to; be overcome. Howdirection of the arrows;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the stem-winding gear, in its wound state;

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the stem-winding gear, as viewed from the side of the winding lever;

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the baseplate of the winding gear with the winding lever thereon, soft-loud pullout sector and a hammer for the alarm;

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view of the alarm release mechanism taken on the line V-V of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGS. 6 and 7 are an enlarged top view and an enlarged lateral sectional view respectively, taken on line VII-VII of FIG. 6, in the direction of the arrows and showing the combined friction rachet locking device between the shaft of the driving spring of the alarm and the winding gear of the alarm.

The winding apparatus includes a winding lever for with a battery-operated timepiece, but it could nevertheless also be used in the case of a spring-driven timepiece. On a baseplate 11, on which the dial 12 is disposed in front, the movement has been built up partly between bedplates l3 and 14 and partly bedplate l4 and baseplate 11. A battery-operated movement controlled by a transistor has been designated as a unit by the letter G and does not constitute part of the invention. 15 is an hour tube, 16 is the hour wheel ofthe mechanism for the hands. The engaging wheel 17 of the alarm, which cooperates in a known manner with the engaging projection 17a ofthe adjusting wheel 18 on the bushing 18:: of the adjusting wheel, is shiflably mounted axially on the hour tube l5. l9 designates the tension spring biasing the engaging wheel 17, which spring will release the hammer 20, with its free end 19a, or will lock it again. The hammer 20 is disposed on the end of the lever arm 20a, which is firmly connected with a shaft 21, which also carries the alarm armature 22. The latter cooperates with the escape wheel 23 of the alarm, which is attached on the shaft 23a and to it belongsthe drive 23b which engages with friction wheel 24. It is sufficient that the friction wheel 24 is connected loosely; but by means of a locking device, with the spring shaft 25, while the drive 25a has been flanged onto the shaft andis in engagement with the toothed segment 26a of the winding lever 26. Therefore, whenever the friction wheel 24 is at a standstill, the winding lever 26 can be moved forward and backward; it then cocks or uncocks the driving spring 27 of the alarm, which has been hooked inside at point 25b to the shaft of the spring, outside at point 28 to a supporting pillar.

The winding lever 26 has been riveted or otherwise secured to a bushing 29, which forms its pivot bearing and which is disposed on a hollow hub 11a, which is placed on the inside through the baseplate 11. 26b is the winding lever arm, having a knob 30 made of synthetic material and used as a handle and which is screwed .onto its ends. The winding lever 26 is a sheet material trimmed and stamped part from which the tooth segment 26a has been punched and has been embossed in relief (FIGS. l and 4), so that a reliable engagement with the drive 25a 01 the spring shaft may be accomplished. The toothed segment is disposed in an arched slot26r, punched into the winding lever, which with its one end extends into the releasing gap 26d and its purpose becomes clear from FIG. 4 since here the toothed drive 25a of the spring shaft is located in the gap, it is therefore out of engagement with the toothed segment 26a of the winding lever and it can therefore be turned together with its shaft 25. This makes it possible to pretension the driving toothed segment 26a is to be reestablished. The pretension of the driving spring of the alarm serves the purpose of having a certain minimum torque available while also providing a short winding path for the winding lever, in order to afford a strong movement of the hammer. The release end position of the winding lever 26 is determined by the impact of its edge 26c against the support column 31, while, as can be seen from FIG. 2 and from the position drawn in-FIG. 4 in broken lines, the housing stop 31, (FIG. 2) will prevent the winding lever 26 from being operatively placed into the release position.

The release gap 26d has the following purpose: When the housing is removed, the winding lever 26 can be moved up to the stop 31 (FIG. 4). In this position of the winding lever, the pinion 2511 will be in the release gap 26d, so that it does not engage with teeth 26a. Now it will be possible to turn the pinion 25a and thus to pretension the driving spring of the alarm. Then the pinion 25a is again made to engage with teeth 26a and after replacing of the housing, stop 45 ensures (FIG. 2), that the cocking lever will be limited in its movement in such a way, that the pinion 25a cannot again reach the release gap 26d. As a result of this the driving spring of the alarm will always maintain a certain minimum tension and thus will be in a position even in the case of only a slight movement of the winding lever 26 to drive the operating mechanism of the alarm.

A flange 29a has been attached to the bushing 29 of the bearing of the winding lever, which is encircled in a resilient and friction contact manner by the arms 32a, 32b of a part 32 punched from sheet metal, designated as the soft-loud pullout sector, which has been inserted between the winding lever 26 and the baseplate 11. The pullout sector is driven by friction whenever the winding lever 26. is wound, in FIG. 4, counter to the hands, to place its pullout edge 320 into the path of a striking arm 20b disengaged from the lever 20a of the shaft of the hammer, in order to prevent the hammer 20 from reaching the bell 33, FIG. 2. Thus the soft-loud pullout sector 32 will always become effective, even with a'short winding path of the lever 26, that is, in the case of a winding for a short alarm time. A striking edge 32d has been provided on said pullout section, with which, after frictional driven through the winding lever 26, the pullout sector 32 will run up against column 31 of the bearing bushing 29 of said lever and its flange 29a, and that it, therefore, does not pass through the complete wound path of the winding lever. The path of the pullout sector 32 is limited in the direction of winding by the lobe Ilb disengaged from the baseplate 11. Element 32 is frictionally mounted on the bushing 29 in such a way that upon the rundown of the alarm spring 27 it will be carried along therewith but it can slide on the bushing when the element 32 is held for example by a projection or support 31. If the alarm spring is tensioned, the winding lever 26 will be moved from the dash line of FIG. 2 to the position of the full lines, so also the element 32 will be taken along until it abuts against the support 31. In this position of the element 32, the alarm hammer 20 will be arrested by the edge 32c, so that upon the sounding of the bell 33 by the hammer, the latter cannot reach the bell. Only when upon the running down of the alarm spring, the winding lever 26 and with it the element 32 will be moved so far in clockwise direction, that thehammer of the bell 33 will stroke the'latter and the alarm will be sounded in full tone strength.

The mode of operation of the device just described is as follows. For winding up the alarm, the winding'lever 26 is rotated by its knob handle 30, in FIGS. 2 and 4 against the hand of the clock, in the direction of the arrow 33'. This movement. is transmitted by the parts 260, 25a, and 25 of the drive system to the driving spring 27. The hammer 20 and20a of the alarm is to he assumed as locked by the, winding spring 19 and 19a of the alarm. Whenever the movement has, been activated by its hour wheel [6 and the intermediate drive 34 and 340, no. 5,

and the alarm-engaging wheel IZtosucha point that its projection 17a is located above the engaging gap, FIG. 1, of the adjusting wheel 18, the tension spring 19 of the alarm can push the alarm-engaging wheel'l7 forward on the hour tube in.-

the direction of the wheel 18 and its locking end 1190 releases the shaft 20a of the hammer and with it the armature 22. Now the driving spring 27 can place the driving system 25, 24, 23b, 23, 22, 20a and 20 in motion. The winding lever 26 and the pullout sector are driven during the ringing of the alarm; in FIGS. 2 and 4, in a clockwise direction,,by said winding lever by frictional contact, and in such a manner that the pullout edge 320 is in the way of the hammer 20 and 20a until, during continuous ringing of the alarm, the putback edge 32e opens up the path to the hammer 20 for striking thebell 33. Finally, the driving of the pullout sector by the winding lever is ended by the pullout sector striking against the column 31 at point 32d. To shut off the alarm, the winding lever 26, however, can also be pressed into its unwound position, in FIG. 2 drawn in broken line, at the same time the spring shaft 25, under the in fluence of unwinding of the spring 27, will slip against the friction wheel 24. 1 q

The friction locking device is operatively mounted on the spring shaft 25, FIGS. 6 and 7, by a bushing 34 pressed on the spring shaft. Thefriction wheel 24 and the locking wheel 35 are loosely disposed thereon. The axial pressure of the friction spring 36 acts on the locking wheel 35; said friction spring is supported by a friction disk 37, made of fibrous material or something similar, by a ring 38 which has been pressed onto the neck 34a of the bushing and presses the locking wheel against the friction disk 39, which in the rear abuts against the bushing 34. The locking wheel 35, therefore, has been connected by frictional contact with the bushing 34 and thus also with shaft 25. It is understood that the torque to turn this slip clutch must be greater than the greatest torque achievable by cocking the driving spring 27, because the driving spring in this case may be discharged differently, for example by a volute drive 24, 23, 22, 21 and 20, rather than by a slip clutch.

The locking rachet 41 is mounted at point 40 on the friction wheel 24 and it acts with locking wheel 35 in such a manner that upon cocking the alarm, arrows 42 and 43 in FIG. 6, the locking wheel 35 will pass below the locking rachet 41, whenever the friction wheel 24 stands still, and with it the spring shaft 25, which is in frictional contact therewith. At the same time, therefore, the torque of the slip clutch 36, 35, 39 and 34 is overcome. In the case of the ringing of the alarm, the movement proceeds from the driving spring 27 by the shaft 25, the locking wheel 35, the locked rachet 41 to the friction wheel 24 and the successive driving elements up to the hammer 20. NOw the slip clutch operates. If the alarm is to be shut off or if overwinding is to be corrected and the winding lever 26 is again to be guided back in the direction of the unwinding movement, it will be rotated, FIG. 6, in the direction of arrow 44, the locking rachet 40 of the friction wheel 24, which in deed has been blocked while the alarm, l9a/20a, has been locked, stops the locking wheel 35 and now the torque of the friction locking device 36, 35 and 39 must be overcome as against the spring shaft 25 on the lever 26, whereby power is taken away from the driving spring 27 of the alarm. The advantage of the locking system is, that upon winding the alarm one will have to use only the medium torque of the driving spring 27.

The friction locking device is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 and these figures show how the spring 27 is wound up by the wind ing lever 26 which is connected with the alarm mechanism by means of the toothed wheel 24 and which includes a slip clutchJ-Wheel 24 is loosely mounted on the bushing 34 and is connected-with the wheel 35 by means of a locking rachet 41. The wheel 35 is connected with its shaft 25 by means of. the bushing 34 and the friction surfaces 39 and 37, so that when the particular movement of rotation is exceeded, it will slide through the bushing 34. Upon winding the spring 27, FIG. 7,

'tlie 'link 4| will slide over the teeth of the wheel 35. The link :31 will however grip the wheel 35 and will move it along when during the alarm the hammer will'be-driven by means of the driving means 24, 23b, 23, 22 and2 l.

Thecombined friction-ratchet locking device could also be used in the case of other spring windings, for example, instruments for measuring short periods of time, telephone clocks and similar devices. The expression friction wheel for the wheel 24 was selected in view of the conventional designation of this part of the driving mechanism although, it may be a locking device 35 which is a member of a frictional locking system.

We claim: 1. A winding and release mechanism for the driving spring of an alarm, comprising:

a shaft for mounting said driving spring and having a drive member, a rotatable winding lever having a toothed end segment engaging said drive member to wind said spring, a friction wheel rotatably mounted to said shaft for activating said alarm, a locking wheel rotatably mounted to said shaft in spaced relation to said friction wheel, friction means interconnecting said friction wheel and said locking wheel, said friction wheel including a locking ratchet for engaging with said locking wheel,

rotation of said winding lever winds said spring anddisengages said locking ratchet from said locking wheel,

said locking ratchet engaging said locking wheel during release of said driving spring to rotate said friction wheel and activate said alarm.

2. A winding a release mechanism as in claim 1 wherein said winding lever includes an arcuate slot having a transverse release gap for receiving said drive member to disengage said toothed end segment therefrom,

said winding and release mechanism further comprising a removable stop member and said winding lever includes a slotted edge for engaging said stop member to limit rotation of said winding lever to prevent said transverse release gap from receiving said drive member.

3. A winding and release mechanism as in claim 2 wherein removal of said stop member enables said winding lever to rotate so that said drive member is received by said transverse release gap to disengage said toothed end segment and said drive member. 

1. A winding and release mechanism for the driving spring of an alarm, comprising: a shaft for mounting said driving spring and having a drive member, a rotatable winding lever having a toothed end segment engaging said drive member to wind said spring, a friction wheel rotatably mounted to said shaft for activating said alarm, a locking wheel rotatably mounted to said shaft in spaced relation to said friction wheel, friction means interconnecting said friction wheel and said locking wheel, said friction wheel including a locking ratchet for engaging with said locking wheel, rotation of said winding lever winds said spring and disengages said locking ratchet from said locking wheel, said locking ratchet engaging said locking wheel during release of said driving spring to rotate said friction wheel and activate said alarm.
 2. A winding a release mechanism as in claim 1 wherein said winding lever includes an arcuate slot having a transverse release gap for receiving said drive member to disengage said toothed end sEgment therefrom, said winding and release mechanism further comprising a removable stop member and said winding lever includes a slotted edge for engaging said stop member to limit rotation of said winding lever to prevent said transverse release gap from receiving said drive member.
 3. A winding and release mechanism as in claim 2 wherein removal of said stop member enables said winding lever to rotate so that said drive member is received by said transverse release gap to disengage said toothed end segment and said drive member. 